1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an improved golf club grip which may also be utilized with other devices employing shafts or handles.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Conventional golf club grips are molded from a single piece of rubber or synthetic plastic. A serious disadvantage of conventional golf club grips is their tendency to become slippery when dampened, as for example, when playing under rainy conditions or by contact with perspiration formed on the golfer's hands. Slippery contact of a golfer's hands with a golf club grip reduces his feel of the golf club. Most conventional golf club grips are formed with a longitudinal profile having constant straight slope or taper extending downwardly from the top of the golf club shaft toward the head of the club. This constant straight slope or taper, however, does not provide the optimum control of the club for all golfers. It is therefore desirable to be able to vary the longitudinal profile of a golf club grip to meet the desires of any particular golfer, i.e., a person with small hands usually obtains better results with a grip of reduced diameter as compared to a person with large hands. It is also desirable to be able to vary the horizontal profile of the grip of a putter to provide better feel of such club.
In order to overcome the above-described disadvantages of conventional golf club grips, I have previously developed a golf club grip utilizing an elongated resilient strip comprising a layer of a textile such as felt bonded to a layer of polyurethane. The felt layer is adhered to and provides strength to the polyurethane layer. The polyurethane layer is of closed pore construction which provides a cushioned grip and enhances tackiness to the golfers hand. The felt and polyurethane strip is spirally wrapped about a resilient rubber-like sleeve which is slipped over and adhered to the grip-receiving upper portion of a golf club shaft. Such sleeve may vary in profile along its longitudinal axis so that when the strip is wrapped about the sleeve the longitudinal profile of the grip may, if desired, conform to a desired configuration different than the longitudinal profile of the original conventional grip and golf club shaft. My heretofore proposed golf club grip may either be applied to a golf club shaft by a golf club manufacturer or by a golfer. When the grip is applied by a golfer, the sleeve is first adhered to the golf club shaft and thereafter the elongated strip is wrapped about such sleeve. When such golf club grip is fabricated by a manufacturer, the manufacturer wraps the longitudinal strip around the sleeve to form a completed grip. The complete grip is then adhered to the grip-receiving portion of a golf club shaft.